Highs and Lows

On Sunday we returned from six happy days away in our caravan, on a site near Bridgnorth. As Mike has been told that he can't drive for two years (and I don't) our eldest son, driving our car, towed the caravan to the site and back. We were ready for a relaxing break and after considering various options I decided, in the end, that 'there's no place like home' and the thought of spending a few days away in the comfort of our own mini home turned out to be the best thing we could have done. Bridgnorth is only an hour's drive away, and the caravan park at Stanmore Hall provided excellent facilities in attractive surroundings.

We travelled and arrived in some pretty windy conditions, and decided that we'd leave the erection of the awning until the following day, under the circumstances. Then, despite the rather gloomy weather forecasts, we actually enjoyed some bright and sunny days. Unlike our previous holiday in Cornwall, when we spent most of the time trying to keep warm, this time we were able to sit outside the caravan, and without jackets.

Mike is now fit enough to do some gentle walking so it wasn't much problem for us to catch the bus (10 mins walk away) into Bridgnorth (10 mins ride away). We went in twice - once to explore the town (which we've never done before), including a trip on the clifftop railway from High Town to Low Town, and on the second occasion to take a journey to Kidderminster on the Severn Valley Railway. What a great day that turned out to be. The weather couldn't have been better and the countryside looked stunning as the train clickety-clicked its way past fishermen sitting on the river banks, and families waving at us as they walked beside the river. Unfortunately there'd been a burst water main at Highley, so our plan to alight and visit the engine house there was scuppered. However, we stayed on the train to Kidderminster, where we enjoyed some good old-fashioned doorstep sandwiches in the restaurant on the station. We went out by steam and returned by diesel, this time sitting in an 1950's corridor carriage, where we had our own compartment. I felt quite inappropriately dressed for the occasion. A tweed suit, little hat and brogues would have been more the thing, and carrying a brown leather case perhaps. There was a beer festival taking place at Bridgnorth station, but as the tent was heaving with people, we opted for a pint in the garden of the White Lion, where we'd enjoyed our lunch a few days earlier.

The caravan is the Wendy house I never had as a child, so cooking meals 'onboard' is quite a pleasure. We took along plenty of our homegrown fruit and veg, including pre-cooked fruit and fruit crumble. It was so much better than having to get up at a set time for breakfast, and instead of having to dress up we could loll about in our PJ's or trackies for as long as we liked. For the first time for ages I actually felt quite relaxed. Perfect.

I called down at the plot yesterday and found that no one had taken up my offer to pick the raspberries over the past week. During our time away the courgettes were on the way to being mini-marrows too. I returned home with two heavily laden trugs of fruit and veg. The very ripe raspberries have gone into the freezer for the time being, until I get around to making yet more jam, and our meal of salmon steaks was accompanied by, as they would say in a posh eatery 'a trio of freshly picked beans' (shelled borlotti, French and runner). As daft as it sounds, this year I actually only grew the borlottis because I think the flowers and pods are so pretty. The first time I grew them, I waited until the beans had fully formed, dried them carefully (so I thought) and put them in sealed containers. However, when I came to use them, some had developed moulds, so they were all thrown away. This time, we are eating them as they come out of the pods, and really enjoying their floury texture and taste. Next year I will grow more of them, and plan to freeze some for the winter months, as the dried ones were not a success for me (any tips?).

Another problem I've had concerns my bottled plums. The first batch is fermenting in the jars. As I'm sure they'd give us upset stomachs I will probably, reluctantly, throw the contents of the two large jars away. If I had the inclination, I suppose I could make some wine with them. But I don't! However, the second batch is fine. Due to my concern, we actually opened a jar and tested them last night, instead of keeping them for Christmas as planned. I'm wondering if the fact that the first batch still had their stones in, may have made a difference - the contents certainly smells of almonds. Still, there are plenty more that I've lightly stewed with sugar, then frozen.

Back to the plot - which is now looking a rather end of the year mess. There wasn't much time to do anything yesterday, but I took off quite a few downy-mildewed squash leaves, and tied up my chrysanths. Oh - and that's another thing. They have brown rust! Both those in my greenhouse at home, and those on the plot..... and the smaller cuttings which I took when pinching out. What a disappointment. All the plants were looking very healthy too - except when I turned over the leaves. I can only think that it came in on the plants when I received them, as I've never grown chrysanths before. The advice is, not to take any cuttings from these infected plants. Sorry Cath!

Back to work, doing all those things you have to do when you return from a holiday, and possibly some more jam making too.